Crap Of The Week: Ken ‘The Hawk’ Harrelson

CHICAGO, UNITED STATES: Soldier Field is reflected in the glasses of New Orleans Saints coach Mike Ditka as he smokes a cigar prior to the game against the Chicago Bears, 22 August, in Chicago, IL. This is Ditka's first appearance back at Soldier Field since he was coach of the Chicago Bears. AFP PHOTO VINCENT LAFORET (Photo credit should read VINCENT LAFORET/AFP/Getty Images)

Mike Ditka. (VINCENT LAFORET/AFP/Getty Images)

(WSCR) Congratulations to White Sox TV play-by-play man Ken “The Hawk” Harrelson, who received this week’s Crap of the Week.

This, from Alex Snelius in Loving Memory of Ursula.

Jose Quintana threw a pitch behind Ben Zobrist and was immediately ejected by Mark Wegner. Wegner recognized intent and chose to forego the traditional baseball courtesy of issuing warnings. Hawk Harrelson had never seen anything like this in his 53 years of being in or around the game. “He has no business umpiring because he has no idea what the game of baseball is about,” Harrelson said. “He oughta be suspended and if they want to keep him as an umpire, send him back to school and teach him what this game is about.”

During a game earlier in the series, a second base umpire made a similar decision to forego traditional baseball courtesy by calling the lead runner safe on an in-the-vicinity double play. In order to avoid the sliding runner, the Ray’s shortstop came off the bag early during the turn, but was not awarded the out, as if often the baseball custom. Hawk Harrelson had nothing but praise for this umpire’s brash decision to ignore the unwritten rules of baseball and make the call based solely on what he saw. “That guy was cheating,” Hawk said. And second base umpire Mark Wegner was all over it.”

I guess the same could’ve been said about Quintana’s retaliation. The main difference was which team was benefited. I wonder if they’ll teach Wegner to call that in-the-vicinity double at the school where suspended umpires go to learn what the game is all about.